


at least i have nothing

by figsteel



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: AU where the Clans never had to leave the forest territories, Gen, LGBTQ Character, No ships yet that pertain to the main characters, Nonbinary Character, Not Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), The Forest Territories (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Trans Character, WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:22:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28992117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/figsteel/pseuds/figsteel
Summary: A dark time has settled over the four Clans of the forest; cats are going missing in ShadowClan, RiverClan is struggling with rogues, WindClan has been having odd attacks on camp by foxes, and ThunderClan has been seeing more and more danger encroaching on their territory. Pair that with StarClan whispering in the dreams of apprentices to bring SkyClan back, and promises of a bigger threat. Follow five young apprentices on their journeys to become a warrior in one of the worst times possible.DISCLAIMER: the setting takes place in the forest territories, long after the reign of firestar and the others. it takes place in a time where the great journey was never needed, and so the clans live on in the forest. mostly ignores AVOS and the broken code.





	1. allegiances

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER** **LIONSTAR** —golden tabby tom.

**DEPUTY** **WILDSTEP** —brown tabby tom with black-tipped ears.

**MEDICINE** **SILVERPOOL** —grey-and-white she-cat with black rings around her eyes.

 **CAT** **APPRENTICE, HERONPAW**

  
  


**WARRIORS** (toms, and she-cats without kits)

**SPECKLEFLURRY** —cream-and-white dappled she-cat.

**WEASELFANG** —mottled grey tom with an overbite.

**EELSTRIDE** —a slender, pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with long legs.

**APPRENTICE, TALLPAW**

**ASPENSPRING** —mottled ginger tom with a white chest and paws.

**APPRENTICE, RAINPAW**

**BLIZZARDCLAW** —white tom with silver and grey speckles.

**BEECHFOOT** —pale tabby.

**GOOSESHADOW** —dusky brown tabby she-cat.

**APPRENTICE, GREENPAW**

**SPECKLESTONE** —grey tom with black flecks and feathered ears.

**BRINDLESTING** —massive, mottled ginger-and-brown tom with amber eyes.

**DRIFTSMOKE** —silver-and-white tabby she-cat.

**APPRENTICES** (older than six moons, in training to become warriors)

**TALLPAW** —white tom with black spots and feathered ears.

**RAINPAW** —dark grey she-cat with blue eyes.

**GREENPAW** —tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with leaf green eyes.

  
  


**QUEENS** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**BIRCHFUR** —cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes; mother to Weaselfang’s  kits. (Goldenkit, a pale she-kit with white splotches; Flintkit, a dark grey tabby  tom with black stripes; Lynxkit, a grey spotted tabby tom-kit.)

**CEDARWILLOW** —slender silver tabby she-cat; expecting Lionstar’s kits.

**ELDERS** (former warriors and queens, now retired)

**SPRINGSHADOW** —black tom.

**SHELLSONG** —pale brown tabby tom with a white splash on his chin.

**LAKESPOT** —burly white tom with a single black spot on his back.

**WHITEBRIAR** —ginger-and-white she-cat.

  
  


**SHADOWCLAN**

  
  


**LEADER** **BREEZESTAR** —frail black she-cat.

**DEPUTY** **AMBERSPIRIT** —tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

**APPRENTICE, MOUSEPAW**

**MEDICINE** **PETALFLOWER** —white-and-grey she-cat with a long tail.

**CAT**

**WARRIORS**

**ASHBROOK** —burly grey tom with a thin face.

**FIRELEAP** —ginger tabby she-cat.

**APPRENTICE, OWLPAW**

**TOADSOAR** —long-legged brown tom with darker legs and a short tail.

**RUSTEAR** —white tom with ginger-tipped ears and a stub tail.

**ROCKFANG** —dusty brown she-cat.

**APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW**

**BATFLAME** —thin black tom.

**HAZELSTRIDE** —stout, pale brown-and-white she-cat.

**APPRENTICE, HOLLYPAW**

**ROSEWATCHER** —dark ginger-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes.

**FERRETNIGHT** —thin grey tom with patchy fur.

  
  


**APPRENTICES**

**MOUSEPAW** —dusky brown tom with a darker back and ears.

**OWLPAW** —calico tom.

**DAWNPAW** —pale ginger tabby she-cat.

**HOLLYPAW** —massive, long-furred black she-cat.

  
  


**QUEENS**

**ACORNSONG** —brown tabby she-cat; expecting Batflame’s kits.

**WOODFLOWER** —pale brown tabby with green eyes; parent of Rustear’s kits.  (Plumkit, a black tom-kit with white paws; Webkit, a brown tabby she-kit;  Snailkit, a ginger-and-white patched tabby tom-kit; Dovekit, a pale brown and  white she-kit.)

**ADDERSIGHT** —short, plump grey tabby she-cat; expecting Ferretnight’s kits.

  
  


**ELDERS**

**SWALLOWSCAR** —battle-scarred black tom.

**SAGECLAW** —silver tabby she-cat with white paws.

**CLOVERSNOUT** —pale grey she-cat with darker flecks.

  
  


**WINDCLAN**

**LEADER** **PATCHSTAR** —scrawny tortoiseshell tom with a white chest splash.

**DEPUTY** **SCORCHSWOOP** —mottled ginger tabby tom with white paws.

**MEDICINE** **MALLOWWING** —pale brown-and-white tabby tom with pale blue eyes.

 **CAT** **APPRENTICE, OATFRECKLE**

  
  


**WARRIORS**

**WHITETHORN** —skinny white tom with dark brown fur on his face.

**SNOWSHADOW** —silver tabby she-cat with darker paws.

**MISTCHASER** —swift blue marbled she-cat.

**APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW**

**BARLEYRIPPLE** —pale ginger tabby cat.

**VIOLETPURR** —silver tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes.

**APPRENTICE, MILKPAW**

**BRAMBLESHADE** —light brown tom.

**DAWNWHISPER** —dark red tabby tom.

**ROBINSTALK** —black tom.

**THRUSHPOND** —grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

**RUNNINGBRIAR** —dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**APPRENTICE, SLATEPAW**

**YARROWSPLASH** —ginger-and-white tom with green eyes.

  
  


**APPRENTICES**

**OATFRECKLE** —skinny brown-and-white patched tom with green eyes.

**SWIFTPAW** —blue-grey tom with long fur.

**MILKPAW** —fawn-cream she-cat with a bushy white tail.

**SLATEPAW** —dark grey tom with black paws and tail.

  
  


**QUEENS**

**SUNNYCLAW** —golden tabby she-cat; mother of Scorchswoop’s kits. (Emberkit,  a dark ginger tom-kit with a white face and spots; Fogkit, a silver tabby she-kit;  Shellkit, a black tom-kit with wide orange eyes.)

**MEADOWBROOK** —mottled brown tabby she-cat; mother of Robinstalk’s kits.  (Minnowkit, unusually spotted grey tabby she-kit; Needlekit, a black tom-kit.)

  
  


**ELDERS**

**LITHEBROOK** —brown flecked cream she-cat with blue eyes.

**RAVENTAIL** —dark grey, almost black, tom with a kinked tail.

**SHIMMERTHROAT** —golden brown tom with a white patch on his throat.

  
  


**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER** **TANGLESTAR** —dark grey marbled tom with messy fur.

**DEPUTY** **STONESONG** —white she-cat with dark grey legs.

**APPRENTICE, FLAREPAW**

**MEDICINE** **BEETLEMASK** —black tom with grey ears and legs and white around his face.

**CAT**

  
  


**WARRIORS**

**SAPFLAME** —light brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

**HONEYSTREAM** —pale ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**TANSYDAPPLE** —tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes.

**APPRENTICE, DARKPAW**

**HICKORYPURR** —thickset dark brown tom with white paws.

**APPRENTICE, DAISYPAW**

**SPOTTEDTRAIL** —white tom with black spots.

**BLUEBIRD** —long-furred blue-grey tom with darker patches.

**LEAFSONG** —grey she-cat with silky fur.

**APPRENTICE, WHEATPAW**

**LIZARDLEAF** —calico tom.

**SOOTCRY** —grey tom with a white muzzle.

  
  


**APPRENTICES**

**FLAREPAW** —bright ginger she-cat with one back white paw.

**DARKPAW** —black she-cat with amber eyes.

**DAISYPAW** —fawn-cream and white she-cat with bright green eyes.

**WHEATPAW** —very pale cream she-cat with black flecks.

  
  


**QUEENS**

**CHESTNUTFUR** —mottled brown tabby she-cat; expecting Sootcry’s kits.

**RIPPLEWATCHER** —thick-furred blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes; mother of  Hickorypurr’s kits. (Spiderkit, a dark brown tom-kit; Hopkit, a blue-grey she-kit.)

  
  


**ELDERS**

**LILACSWOOP** —pale brown she-cat with white markings. Retired early due to  mangled back leg.

**ORCHIDMOSS** —black tom with lighter flecks.

**FALLOWBREATH** —bristly ginger-and-white tom with massive front paws.

  
  


**CATS OUTSIDE OF CLANS**

**DIXIE** —thin siamese she-cat with a narrow face and blue collar.

**BRINLEY** —black-and-white tom kitten with a bright red collar.

**FLICK** —white tom with pale grey legs, face, ears, and tail; barn cat.

**BLAIR** —tortoiseshell-and-white tom with blue eyes; Flick’s mate.

**CASPER** —fluffy white she-cat with amber eyes; rogue.

**BADGER** —black tom with a single white stripe down his back; rogue.

**ECHO** —dark grey tabby she-cat with yellow eyes; rogue.

**BASTIAN** —grey tom with silky fur and a white face; rogue.

**SCAR** —battle-scarred ginger tabby missing one eye and ear; rogue.

**BLINK** —massive pale brown tabby tom with green eyes; rogue.

**JINX** —white she-cat; mother of Badger’s kits; rogue. (Pebble, pale grey she-kit;  Sorrel, black and white she-kit with amber eyes; Frost, fluffy white tom-kit.)

**PINE** —burly dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes; rogue.


	2. prologue

Three cats paced in the clearing, pawsteps light on the soft ground beneath them. One sat on his haunches, calculating gaze following the other two, “Will she be here or not?”

The second, a ginger tabby with stars glimmering in his fur, curled his lip, “She must be! Otherwise, we cannot continue.”

The cats fell silent at that. Each had stars in their pelts, one more see-through than the rest. The third, a massive black tom raised his head as the undergrowth nearby rustled. Two cats stepped out, a handsome ginger tom came first, followed by a blue-grey she-cat. They greeted the cats quietly, and the ginger tabby bristled, “Why have you brought him?”

“Peace, Flamestride,” the she-cat murmured. “He needs to be here.”

“Great Firestar of ThunderClan, of course,” the black tom hissed.

The blue-grey she-cat blinked kindly at them despite their rage, “Each of the Clans deserves a say in the matter. We all have cats in our Clans that concern this, do we not?”

“Of course, Mistystar,” the first mewed, turning to smooth some of her grey fur on her side.

Mistystar stepped forwards. A pool sat in the middle of the cats, glimmering with starlight. The third cat sniffed disdainfully, but said nothing else. The grey she-cat shot him a look, “One would typically be more honored to be in the presence of Firestar, Shadedgrove.”

The tom eyed the she-cat, “ThunderClan has never been in ShadowClan’s good graces, as you would well know, Ashfoot.”

The starry she only dipped her head and turned back to the water. It rippled under Mistystar’s touch, and she spoke slowly, “We must choose the cats. Be careful with who you well choose; even one wrong choice could destroy the forest, and Clans, as we know it.”

Shadedgrove’s mood only seemed to sour at her words, but he remained silent. Only the aggravated twitch of his whiskers gave a sense of how he felt. Mistystar turned her gaze to Firestar, “You may choose first.”

“Of course,” Shadedgrove muttered, but he was ignored.

Firestar dipped his head, speaking for the first time, “Thank you, Mistystar.”

He looked long and hard into the starry pool, seeing things that the other cats did not. His eyes flashed with unknown emotion, before he drifted a paw over the pool. In the water they could see a young warrior standing proud, grey-and-white fur shining in the dying light of the sun. Silhouettes of cats cheered around her, but their words were silent to the ears of the StarClan cats. Firestar closed his eyes solemnly, “Lilykit of ThunderClan. The danger is not to come for many moons, and she will have the spirit of all those before her to defend not just her Clan, but the forest itself.”

The StarClan cats murmured softly to one another as Firestar stepped back, seeming confident in his choice. Despite this, he looked sorrowful. Ashfoot spoke first, “Why such sorrow?”

“She will deal with many hardships,” he said simply, and the cats fell silent once more.

Shadedgrove pushed his way forward, “ShadowClan will choose, now.”

The black tom’s tail swayed peacefully behind him as he looked into the starry pool of water. Many heartbeats of silence later, he swept a paw over the water as Firestar had done. A dusky brown tom stood at the forefront, gaze sharp as he stalked towards a frog nearby. Shadedgrove’s mew rumbled from his chest, “Mousepaw of ShadowClan shows great promise. He has tenacity, a kindness in his heart, and will be braver than any cat.”

The cats dipped their heads, and the remaining three eyed each other. Ashfoot stepped forward wordlessly, paw gliding over the pool as she observed the cats. Ashfoot was one of the oldest of them all, Mistystar having barely outlived the she-cat, “WindClan will face a great hardship these coming moons. I have made my decision.”

Ashfoot’s ears flicked forward at the sight of a ginger-and-white spotted tom who wordlessly sprinted across the moor in pursuit of another shade of a cat. He looked to be happy. Ashfoot shook her head, “Emberkit of WindClan will lead us to greatness, and through hardships worse than those we ourselves lived through. He will go on to show patience, understanding, and demonstrate kindness and sympathy to all those who deserve or need it.”

“Sounds like you’ve chosen a weak-willed one,” Shadedgrove’s lip curled.

“I have confidence he will know when to hold his ground,” The former WindClan deputy responded coolly.

Shadedgrove only huffed rudely. The cats moved on, Mistystar and Flamestride looking at one another. The RiverClan molly dipped her head to him, and he strode forward. Shadedgrove decided to speak up again, “Why are we even letting SkyClan have a part in this? They do not live in our forest after they were driven out so long ago.”

Before Flamestride could hiss curses, Firestar cut in, “Dark times are coming. SkyClan will need to travel to the forest if they are to survive, and so they get a part in this.”

Shadedgrove gaped, “But there is no room for a fifth Clan!”

“My Clan will find a way, I assure you,” Flamestride said coolly, voice clipped. He shoved his way forward, glaring at Shadedgrove for a moment before slipping a paw over the pool. Again, they were shown an image. However, it was a blank clearing.

“What is this?” Mistystar mewed in a wary tone.

Flamestride did not respond, eyes narrowed to slits. He looked as though he were far too invested in the empty clearing. Shadedgrove snarled, “Clearly Destiny does not want SkyClan to be a part of this. It’s best you leave, Flamestride.”

He was cut off by a shocked mew from Firestar. In the pool, what once showed an empty clearing lumbered a badger who carried a small kit squealing in it’s jaws. Flamestride remained silent as the others leaned closer, and Shadedgrove, despite his grumpy exterior, seemed worried. Flamestride finally spoke, “Midnight has shown me the kit, one not yet born.”

“And?” Shadedgrove meowed, unnerved.

Flamestride turned his gaze on the other cats, eyes flashing, “Volekit, future of SkyClan and daughter of Blazestar. She will be the light in our darkest hour, or the darkness itself.”

The other cats looked uneasy, all except for Mistystar. The RiverClan molly bowed her head as Flamestride stepped back. Her choice was almost immediate, rousing a chorus of surprised meows from the group. A massive tom, looking as though he would dwarf even Shadedgrove, stood crouched against the grown, ears flat and snarling. He had blue-grey spotted tabby fur and massive paws that appeared to dwarf the head of a normal cat, but above all, the fierce expression he made unsettled them all. Mistystar narrowed her eyes, “Lynxkit of RiverClan. He will make or break my Clan, and in the process, the forest. He will grow due to the kindness he holds, as well as a firm belief in StarClan and himself. But his path will be filled with strife.”

“Just as they all will,” Ashfoot mewed sympathetically, eyes downcast.

“Then the meeting is adjourned,” Firestar said, rising to his paws. “The fate of the forest rests in the paws of these cats.”

Shadedgrove narrowed his eyes and stalked off without another word, tail flicking behind him. Flamestride followed soon after. It was only once Mistystar and Ashfoot were left that they spoke. Ashfoot dipped her head, “Why Shadedgrove and Flamestride? Could you not have brought Blackstar, even Raggedstar? Or Leafstar? Cloudstar?”

“They are the closest to this future generation of cats,” Mistystar mewed tightly. “Old as we are, we are mostly cats of legend to these cats. We are out of our depth with them, but I could find no other suiting cats for RiverClan, WindClan, or ThunderClan.”

Ashfoot remained silent as they left the clearing. Mistystar could not find anything else to say, and so they parted ways. As Mistystar picked her way across a stony bank, listening to the flow of the starry river beside her, she couldn’t help but wonder if they had made the right choice.


	3. one / lynx

Water rushed around Lynxkit as he helplessly paddled forward. However, he was unable to keep a steady motion, floundering as he went under the rolling waves of black. Water sloshed around overhead, in his ears, his eyes, his mouth and lungs. He opened his mouth to cry out only to choke around the crushing pressure of the water around him. His head broke through the torrent, just enough for him to sputter and cough up water. His thick fur dragged him down and he felt weaker and weaker—and suddenly he was back in the nursery, curled up against his mother’s soft belly with his littermates.

Flintkit was already awake, sitting between Birchfur’s paws as she groomed his fur. Lynxkit blinked helplessly at his surroundings, then realized it must have been a dream. His anxiety over his apprentice ceremony was getting to him; Tallpaw had told him he’d be lucky if he didn’t get Blizzardclaw, who was well known for his nasty attitude and strict way of training apprentices. But Lynxkit thought that his previous apprentice, Brindlesting, had turned out alright.

He was roused from his thoughts by Birchfur rasping her tongue over the top of his head. He noticed Flintkit had finally struggled away, his fur neatly groomed until it was smooth and shiny. It wouldn’t last long, Lynxkit thought, seeing some of the fur along his spine already popping back up. No matter how much Birchfur tried, no cat could keep Flintkit’s unruly fur down for long. Goldenkit was already grooming herself, he noticed, looking as pristine as ever. He eyed her with envy; Birchfur had always considered her the most mature of the kits, and let her do mostly whatever she wanted. He didn’t blame her, though. Flintkit and him were always running off and getting into trouble, like when they had Rainpaw bring back some brambles and put them in Blizzardclaw’s nest.

Once Birchfur deemed Lynxkit’s fur thoroughly smoothed, he tugged himself away. The kit almost fell over his paws, which seemed far too large for a cat at his age. Birchfur sat up, “Weaselfang will be coming to the ceremony, so be on your best behavior.”

Lynxkit only ducked his head, already not looking forward to it. Weaselfang was a stern warrior who barely had time for any cat other than Silverpool, RiverClan’s medicine cat. While it was no longer against the code for medicine cats to have a mate and kits, they were expected to have a cat to pick up the slack for them. It wouldn’t be long until Heronpaw got his full name, Lynxkit thought, so he was sure Silverpool would be joining the nursery within time. The thought only made Lynxkit bitter. Silverpool was younger than Birchfur, and Weaselfang had never shown his own mother affection of any sort.

He saw Cedarwillow show him a sympathetic look; the silver tabby was the only other queen in the den, and soon would be alone until her kits were born. He eyed her swollen stomach. It wouldn’t be long until she had company in the kits, and Lionstar visited almost every day to check on her and make sure she was well. Lynxkit’s kithood hero effect had worn off moons ago when he saw how much of a goof the tom was, tripping over his paws when it came to Cedarwillow. He had wondered at one point if he would ever be like the leader, but he doubted it.

When Lynxkit glanced to his littermates, he already saw Flintkit’s mood had been effectively soured. The dark tabby had slunk to the back of the nursery to wait. Goldenkit, however, had brightened up at the prospect. Despite being the mature one, she had always been so hopeful about Weaselfang, hoping he would pay more attention to her and love her as if she were really his kit. It only made Lynxkit and Flintkit even more bitter.

Lynxkit looked up as a figure blocked the light from filtering into the den. He looked up, expecting Weaselfang, but instead it was Lionstar standing before him. The tom blinked kindly at the kits, soon to be apprentices, and slipped his way over to Cedarwillow. The two rubbed their cheeks together with sickeningly sweet purrs, and Lynxkit felt suddenly ill. Why couldn’t Weaselfang just have that with Birchfur? He saw the way his mother looked at the tom, and he didn’t even have the decency to so much as be kind to her.

Lynxkit tore his gaze away, lost in his thoughts. He only came to attention when he heard his name. The kit looked up to see Lionstar and the rest looking at him expectantly. He flicked an ear sheepishly and looked down, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that…?”

Birchfur’s whiskers twitched, and she looked embarrassed, but Lionstar only looked amused, “I asked how you were feeling about your upcoming ceremony.”

“Nervous,” Lynxkit admitted, then looked to the nursery entrance and spoke without thinking. “I hope I don’t get Blizzardclaw. He’s mean.”

Lionstar snorted at the tom’s honesty, and Lynxkit felt his ears warm as he realized what he said. The leader sat up slightly, “Blizzardclaw may be a bit harsh, but he is a good, strong warrior.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Lynxkit immediately apologized.

Lionstar shook his head and turned his gaze away as another cat approached. This time it  _ was _ Weaselfang, who tossed his head for the kits to follow. Birchfur stood and shepherded the kits out with a quiet mew to Cedarwillow and Lionstar. Lynxkit fell silent as they sat in a line in front of Weaselfang, Birchfur sitting just behind them. He seemed to scan them, as if searching for each and every weakness. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked to Birchfur, “Why is Flintkit so messy?”

Flintkit dipped his head in an ashamed manner. Goldenkit and Lynxkit exchanged a glance, and Lynxkit tried to quell the wave of anger at his father. Birchfur shook her head, “It’s just how his fur is, it won’t stay down. Believe me, I tried.”

And there she went with that look as though Weaselfang was everything to her; it made Lynxkit want to puke. He sat up straighter, watching Weaselfang’s gaze settle on Goldenkit. The warrior snorted derisively, “And Goldenkit? She’s too small to be a warrior. Not fed enough, and certainly not strong enough.”

“She can make up for it with her swiftness and wit,” Birchfur shot back, though she looked more downtrodden.

Weaselfang’s eyes finally landed on Lynxkit, and he braced himself. The tom looked him over for far longer than he did his littermates, then shook his head. He narrowed his eyes to slits, looking to Birchfur, “This will not do.”

“What are you talking about?” Birchfur scowled.

“They are not suitable,” Weaselfang said simply, and Birchfur got to her paws.

The queen stepped in front of the three, motioning for them to go back to the nursery, and they did as told. Lionstar was looking at the three curiously, as if noting their downtrodden looks, and then heard a furious shriek from outside the nursery. The large tom was on his paws and out of the nursery in seconds, and Lynxkit thought he heard the sounds of a scuffle outside of the den. The kit flattened himself against the wall of the den as Cedarwillow looked on with pity in her gaze. Birchfur stalked back into the den moments later, bitter rage on her face.

Lynxkit said nothing as Flintkit and Goldenkit huddled beside him. His ears flickered towards the entrance, straining to hear the tense murmurs between Lionstar and Weaselfang. He heard Weaselfang stalk off, but nothing more. Lionstar poked his head in and cleared his throat, “Let’s get this ceremony out of the way, then, shall we?”

Lynxkit perked up. He would finally be an apprentice! Earlier mood forgotten, he practically barreled into Lionstar on his way out. Flintkit and Goldenkit followed more passively and subdued, but Lynxkit could still see some excitement in them. Lionstar stayed back to say something to Cedarwillow and Birchfur, then made his way to the Wet Rock. Most of the Clan was already gathered in the clearing, murmuring amongst themselves as they shot glances to the medicine cat den. Lynxkit tried to forget about Weaselfang for now; even if he thought they weren’t good enough, Lynxkit would prove him wrong. Not for anyone, either. Just himself.

Lionstar bounded up onto the rock and gazed down at the cats, his yowl ringing clear, “All cats old enough to swim the shallows gather to hear my words!”

Lynxkit bounded to the front of the crowd, Flintkit and Goldenkit just behind him. They all looked to each other expectantly, and Lynxkit leaned towards them, “I bet I’m going to get Blizzardclaw, after what I said.”

Flintkit cast him an amused look, “You deserve it. I bet he thinks Blizzardclaw could straighten you out.”

Goldenkit scoffed, “Blizzardclaw probably could. He’s scary as is.”

They fell silent as the rest of the Clan gathered around, giving the kits a wide berth so they remained the center of attention. Lionstar sat tall on the rock, looking down at the Clan, “Today we have three new apprentices to make, and I’m sure a much calmer camp.”

He paused as an amused murmur rippled through the crowd, then spoke, “Lynxkit, Flintkit, and Goldenkit, you three have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this moment on, until you receive your warrior names, you shall be known as Lynxpaw, Flintpaw, and Goldenpaw.”

Lionstar paused, then continued, “Blizzardclaw, you have shown yourself to be resilient and intelligent. You will mentor Goldenpaw, and I hope you pass on all you know to her.”

Lynxpaw gaped at his littermate as she stood and made her way to Blizzardclaw, touching her nose to his. The tom mewed something gruffly to her that he couldn’t hear, and she sat beside him after giving a quiet response. Lionstar eyed the two remaining apprentices, “Brindlesting, it is time you receive your first apprentice. You have shown yourself to be honest and spirited. You will mentor Flintpaw, and I hope you pass on all you know to him.”

Flintpaw left his side and repeated the process as Goldenpaw and Blizzardclaw had with Brindlesting, leaving Lynxpaw alone in the center of the clearing. Lionstar’s gaze seemed calculating and unsure, as though he didn’t know if he had made the right decision. Lynxpaw quivered from anxiety and excitement.

“Beechfoot, you have shown yourself to be wise and clever. You will mentor Lynxpaw, and I hope you pass on all you know to him,” Lionstar meowed finally.

Lynxpaw jumped to his paws and made his way to the pale tabby cat. They observed him silently for a moment, then leaned forward and touched their nose to his. They spoke softly to Lynxpaw, “I am honored.”

Lynxpaw, unsure of how to respond, only nodded and sat beside them as the Clan broke into cheers. His chest swelled with pride as he heard his name and his littermates’ being called out, and he scanned the crowd. He could see almost every cat, but he couldn’t help the small prickle of dismay that needled at the back of his mind when he saw Weaselfang sitting silently beside Silverpool and Heronpaw.

Lynxpaw ripped his gaze away when the cats had quieted down, seeing Lionstar had raised his tail for silence. The golden tabby smiled warmly, “Not only that, but we have a new warrior in our midst.”

Everyone’s attention caught at that immediately, and Lionstar purred, “Eelstride, has your apprentice, Tallpaw, learned the skills of a warrior? Does he understand the importance of the warrior code?”

“He does,” Eelstride said confidently.

Lynxpaw craned his neck to see Tallpaw, the tom looked overwhelmed with both shock and excitement. Lionstar continued, “I, Lionstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Tallpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” Tallpaw answered semi-confidently, voice shaking.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Tallpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tallpounce. StarClan honors your wit and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.”

“Tallpounce! Tallpounce!” Lynxpaw cheered over the din of the Clan, as loud as he could be. While they were not as close in age as they once were, he viewed Tallpounce as a close friend. The apprentice had always gone out of his way to demonstrate the hunting and fighting techniques he had been taught by Eelstride in the previous day despite his exhaustion, and he always would bring back whatever prey Lynxpaw would ask for.

Tallpounce stood in the center, chest puffed out with pride. Lionstar’s own eyes shone, “While I do not usually hold warrior ceremonies so early, I found it appropriate. Later tonight, Tallpounce will sit silent vigil in the middle of camp, as per tradition. Clan dismissed.”

Many of the warriors and apprentices went out of their way to congratulate the three new apprentices and new warrior. Once every cat had gone on to their daily duties, warriors gathering around Wildstep to receive patrols, mostly, Lynxpaw let out a deep sigh of relief. However, the short moment of peace was interrupted by Rainpaw and Greenpaw. Rainpaw regarded the three new apprentices with a careful eye as Greenpaw spoke, “Congratulations on becoming apprentices! Rainpaw and I will make sure you three have comfy nests tonight, so don’t worry about it, okay?”

Lynxpaw nodded slowly, ears twitching with curiosity. Greenpaw purred, “Great! Oh, here comes your mentors. Have fun!”

The two bounded away without another word, and Lynxpaw peered up at Beechfoot. They watched the two disappear into the medicine cat den for a moment, then glanced down to Lynxpaw, “I was thinking we could go explore the edges of our territory with the other apprentices and their mentors.”

Lynxpaw swung his head to look at Flintpaw and Goldenpaw, each of whom were locked in conversation with their own mentors. His eyes flicked to Goldenpaw, and he couldn’t help but feel bad. Despite everything, however, he thought that she looked somewhat pleased when talking to Blizzardclaw. Well, as Lionstar had said, Blizzardclaw was a good, strong warrior. Perhaps one of the best in the Clan, but Lynxpaw hadn’t seen his supposed fighting prowess. Beechfoot called for the cats, and they all gathered in a small cluster in front of them.

“We’ll head for our border with WindClan first,” Blizzardclaw meowed gruffly, icy gaze daring any cat to challenge that notion.

When no cat said anything, he nodded to them and began to head towards the entrance to camp. They followed obediently, greeting the warriors passing to leave on an early morning border patrol. When Lynxpaw and the rest of the apprentices and mentors were out of camp, he couldn’t help but look around with wide eyes. His only experiences outside of camp previously had been swimming in the stream behind the nursery, so to say all the new sounds and scents were overwhelming was an understatement. Every step was careful and calculated as he swung his head around to take in the sights, much to the amusement of Beechfoot, who walked beside him. As they continued on, bad moods forgotten, Lynxpaw could only wonder what would come in the future.


	4. two / mouse

Careful pawsteps led closer to the mouse, sitting under the Burnt Sycamore nibbling on a stalk of grass. The sun had long since dipped to the treeline, only weak rays of light shining down onto the marsh. His prey sat unaware as Mousepaw came closer and closer, pawsteps light. The wind blew towards Mousepaw, a good sign that the prey wasn’t aware of his presence. He tensed his muscles, then sprang. He felt mud stick to his paws from the soft ground, recently rained on.

The mouse squealed in terror, darting towards a hole in the roots of the lightning-scarred tree. But Mousepaw was faster, scooping it up with a paw and flinging it into the air. The mouse hit the ground, dazed, and tried to run again. Mousepaw cursed under his breath, darting forward to pin it with a paw. One swift bite to the spine, and it fell limp. His ears flattened as a tortoiseshell she-cat crept out from the underbrush nearby, tail held high. She fixed him with an analytical look, “Sloppy technique, but you caught it. Hide it and let’s move on, we still need to catch more to feed the Clan.”

Mousepaw dipped his head and scraped the loose earth and some leaves over his catch to hide it from predators. Who knew if a fox lurked by, and he didn’t want his catch to be stolen from him due to carelessness. The apprentice stalked off into the underbrush after Amberspirit, who was leading him further from the tree. They stopped once they were a good distance from his previous catch, and Amberspirit eyed him, “Try not to be so sloppy. I will be watching, now go on.”

He blinked at her, then padded off in search of more prey. His eyes strained in the darkness as the sun dipped lower in the horizon, making it harder to see. Night hunting was common among ShadowClan, but Mousepaw was a newer apprentice and not as accustomed as his Clanmates were to the darkness. Still, he persevered, screwing his eyes up against the darkness. Mousepaw opened his jaws, scenting the air carefully. The stale scent of mouse, just barely there. Long gone, he determined, the scent of rain mingling with it. A whiff of dog, distantly, but also too old to still be around. Considering the scent of Twoleg that went with it, he doubted it would be a danger.

Mousepaw picked up the trail of a sparrow and followed it. When he found the bird, it was pecking away at the ground. It looked up and tipped its head to the side, crooning in an odd tone. Luckily for Mousepaw, it was facing away from him. He dropped into a hunting crouch, stalking forward slowly, focusing on putting one paw in front of the other and trying not to alert it. He stopped once he was in striking distance, almost amazed the sparrow had yet to notice him. Finally, he leaped. The bird took off almost immediately, but Mousepaw was quick. He caught its wings and hooked his claws in, dragging it back in despite it’s desperately beating wings. He nipped its neck, and it crooned one last time before falling limp in his jaws.

Mousepaw scrunched his nose as he dropped the bird, spitting feathers out of his mouth with some disgust. Amberspirit’s green gaze shined through the undergrowth as she revealed herself again, “A good catch. It will feed the Clan well, I think. Most apprentices your age would have struggled more with the sparrow.”

Mousepaw felt pride well up within him, but dipped his head in a modest manner. Amberspirit blinked kindly, “Let’s collect your catches and head back to camp.”

Mousepaw picked up the sparrow in his jaws, though not without a grimace. Amberspirit led the way back to the Burnt Sycamore, where he gathered the mouse in his jaws. He struggled with all the prey as he followed his mentor back to camp, but the sight of his Clanmates looking up and eyeing the prey in his jaws was enough to make him puff his chest out. Amberspirit glanced back to Mousepaw, “I’ve got to collect reports from the border watch. See that the queens and elders are fed, then you can eat and rest.”

Mousepaw flicked an ear in response, breaking away from the she-cat as she approached a small cluster of tired warriors. He dropped the prey on the pile, where Ashbrook and Hazelstride had been picking at it in search of newer prey. Hazelstride’s gaze lit up at the sight of the sparrow, and she quickly took it with a mew of thanks to Mousepaw. Ashbrook eyed the catches for a moment, mouth twisted into a grimace. However, he knew that was just how the tom was, and so he plucked a shrew and frog from the pile and picked his way to the nursery first.

He ducked past the thorn bush guarding the hollow that was the nursery. Acornsong, Woodflower, and Addersight lay within. He dropped the prey just long enough to speak, “Hungry?”

Woodflower looked up, exhaustion clear in her eyes as she used a paw to draw one of her kits back to her belly. They had been born only a few sunrises ago, and since then Woodflower had been spending all of her time cooped up in the nursery with the exception of stretching her legs outside. Acornsong spoke up for her, “Very. One would think the other apprentices who got back earlier would have tended to us first.”

Despite her icy words, Acornsong’s eyes shone with affection. Hollypaw and Owlpaw were her kits from an older litter, and they were definitely much older than Mousepaw, close to being warriors within the next few moons. Mousepaw dropped the shrew at Woodflower’s paws, giving Acornsong and Addersight the frog to share. Addersight’s gaze sparkled at the sight of her favorite prey, “Thank you, Mousepaw.”

“Of course,” he mewed kindly, then backed out of the den and returned to the fresh-kill pile. Ashbrook had since vacated the space to lay by Hazelstride with a toad; Mousepaw couldn’t help but wonder if there would be another queen in the nursery soon with how the two of them got on, and once Hollypaw was a warrior.

He pushed these trivial thoughts from his head, picking up a large pigeon for the elders. Mousepaw could feel his mouth water around the plump bird despite his distaste for them. He hated picking feathers off the most, finding it disgusting and tedious. He poked his head in, greeting the elders with a purr. Swallowscar looked up from where he had been devouring a mouse on his own, yellow eyes flashing before he turned back to his meal.

“Something for us, finally?” Sageclaw meowed kindly, whiskers twitching.

Cloversnout snorted, “Took long enough.”

“Acornsong said that too,” Mousepaw meowed, dropping the pigeon between the two she-cat’s. “I suppose Hollypaw and Owlpaw got distracted again. I think I saw them wrestling by the apprentices’ den.”

“Of course they did,” Swallowscar said dryly.

Mousepaw ignored his comment, hearing his own belly rumble. He hadn’t eaten yet today, having been out with Amberspirit for an exhaustingly long time trying to hone his hunting skills. Sageclaw purred, thoroughly amused, “Why don’t you eat with us?”

Seeing the way Mousepaw hesitated, Cloversnout jumped in, “We won’t bore you with stories for kits. How about something more interesting?”

“Such as?” Mousepaw settled in front of the she-cats as Swallowscar shifted to his own corner of the den.

Cloversnout’s whiskers twitched, “The story of BloodClan, of course. They invaded the forest many seasons ago, when Blackstar had just become the leader of ShadowClan.”

Mousepaw leaned in, eager to hear a story he had not yet heard from the elders as he joined them in eating the pigeon. By the time he left the den, it was even darker, the moon rising in the sky. He blinked at the twinkling stars of Silverpelt and hurried across the clearing to the apprentices’ den, but stopped short just outside of the medicine cat den at the sound of voices. He heard a worried mew from a cat, and flattened himself to the ground, falling silent.

“Are you sure it’s not just greencough?” A familiar voice whispered, which Mousepaw recognized as Woodflower.

“I’m  _ sure _ ,” came Petalflower’s voice, and Mousepaw heard her shuffling something around.

A low moan of pain came from a cat in the den, and Mousepaw felt the fur on his spine raise. Woodflower shushed whoever was inside, speaking again, “So we don’t know what Rustear caught?”

“No, and I’m afraid it may soon spread,” Petalflower meowed, an edge to her tone. “I’m going to have to ask you not to visit. If you start feeling unwell, I want you to come to me immediately. Anyone else, send them to my den. I need to quarantine any cat with an unknown illness. Believe me, I’ll do my best to make sure Rustear recovers.”

Woodflower fell silent, and Mousepaw took this as his cue to get past. He scrambled to the apprentices’ den, where he saw the other three already fast asleep in their nests. He lay on his own, taking the time to lick mud from his paws as he surveyed the other three. They didn’t smell or look sick, at the very least. Mousepaw would soon fall asleep to the slow, deep breaths of the cats around him, but only found mentions of the unknown sickness haunting his dreams.

Sunlight filtered through the top of the apprentices’ den, warming the fur of the sleeping cats. Mousepaw was jolted awake by a paw roughly kicking his nose. He sat up with a pained hiss, seeing Dawnpaw splayed out in her nest still fast asleep. Hollypaw and Owlpaw were already out of the den, he noticed, from how their scents were fading from their empty nests.

Mousepaw stood and groomed moss from his fur before padding out, seeing the two older apprentices sitting together with their heads ducked. They spoke quietly enough that Mousepaw couldn’t hear them, and he felt with a sense of foreboding they weren’t up to any good. The apprentice scoffed and padded away; the two were known for playing practical jokes on every cat in the Clan, and Mousepaw certainly wasn’t an exception as the youngest of the apprentices. He could see Rockfang and Batflame trudging into camp, likely having been on border watch. They greeted Toadsoar and Fireleap, who lay nearby arguing about something or other.

Amberspirit sat by the Clanrock, giving out orders to a small crowd of warriors. He noticed Rustear absent from the crowd and felt a sense of foreboding as he remembered the conversation he had overheard just last night. Seeing his mentor busy, he took a quick trip to the medicine den, where he saw Petalflower outside setting out herbs to dry. He didn’t recognize any of them, and so he decided not to comment. Petalflower looked up with a critical eye, “What is it?”

“I was just coming to see if you needed help,” Mousepaw lied, shuffling his paws awkwardly.

Petalflower scoffed. Her tone was icy, but the gentle gleam in her eyes showed she meant no harm with her words, “More like coming to check on Rustear, I take it?”

Mousepaw looked at her, bewildered. He opened his mouth to speak, but Petalflower beat him to it, “I caught your scent outside the den once Woodflower left. Eavesdropping isn’t a good look for an apprentice, Mousepaw.”

Mousepaw couldn’t help but give her a sheepish look, “Sorry. How is Rustear, anyhow?”

“Not good,” Petalflower meowed carefully. “He has a bad fever and his breathing isn’t doing him any good. Juniper and feverfew doesn’t seem to be helping, either, but I have a few more mixtures in mind to try and help.”

Mousepaw frowned. Petalflower caught his look and shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, Mousepaw. I’ve got it under control. If I can’t find anything, I’ll talk to Mallowwing or Beetlemask about it. Or Silverpool, at the gathering…”

Seeing Petalflower drift off into her own headspace, Mousepaw excused himself. He trotted away from the medicine cat den, the illness weighing heavily on his mind. While he had no desire to become a medicine cat himself, he wanted to help Petalflower. She was a prideful cat, though she tried not to let it get in the way, and he would bet a couple mouse tails that she was more upset about being unable to identify Rustear’s illness than she showed.

Amberspirit caught his attention with a quick call. He bounded over quickly, seeing she was standing with Rockfang, Dawnpaw’s mentor. He scrunched his nose; while Dawnpaw was his Clanmate, he didn’t like her very much. She was obnoxious and always thought she was right because she was older than him, but when they were around Owlpaw and Hollypaw she would cater to their every need. It annoyed him more than any cat could imagine.

“What is it, Amberspirit?” He mewed, but there was no challenge in his words. Just simple curiosity.

Amberspirit flicked an ear and turned to look at Rockfang, “We’ll be practicing combat with Dawnpaw. While she’s older and more experienced, it will be a good way to practice.”

Mousepaw couldn’t help his sour look. If Amberspirit noticed, she didn’t say anything about it. Instead she flicked her tail, “Go wake Dawnpaw, and we’ll be off.”

Internally, he cheered. While she would be less than happy about him waking her up, he knew she would have to keep any nasty remarks to herself with the warriors around. Mousepaw considered how to wake her up as he stood over her, but settled for crashing his weight down on top of her completely. He may be a small apprentice, but he was still heavy and a shock to the sleeping she-cat.

Dawnpaw hissed furiously as she scrabbled out from beneath him, bristling. Mousepaw only stood with a satisfied look, cutting her off when she started to speak, “Amberspirit told me to wake you up. We’ll be training together today.”

He left without another word, leaving Dawnpaw glaring after him. He knew it was likely a mistake to have done that, considering she would just be angry at him today. Mousepaw shivered at the thought of her blows and the potential for unsheathed claws. Dawnpaw came out of the den moments later, thoroughly ruffled as she joined their side. Rockfang only leveled her with a stern look, “Wake up earlier, won’t you? You’re getting lazy.”

Dawnpaw only returned a glare, but Rockfang’s own was too much for her. Thoroughly mollified, Dawnpaw tore her gaze away as Amberspirit led them away. Mousepaw pushed away the thoughts of Rustear and Petalflower for now, focusing his all on training for the day. He was sure Petalflower would come up with something. She was a clever she-cat, after all, and one of the best medicine cats in the forest, he thought, mostly to reassure himself. Still, he could not push away the small sense of doubt clawing at the back of his mind.


End file.
